Revere Slot Barn: Special Election on Slots Oct 18

Special Election on Slots Oct 18

October 14, 2016

By Journal Staff

Revere voters will go to the polls next Tuesday, October 18 and cast their vote to approve or disapprove a request for a slots casino parlor to be built in 400-room hotel located at the current trailer park on Revere Beach Parkway.

The special election is not without its controversy or confusion. Yes, there will be a special election October 18, a statewide election on November 8 and another special election in 2017 or later.

The October 18 special election this Tuesday resulted when developer Eugene McCain, of the The Revere Jobs and Education Committee, collected enough signatures to place a question on a special election ballot. To confuse matters another initiative petition question calling for an additional statewide slot license has also been placed on the November 8 election ballot.

The Revere Jobs and Education Committee’s initiated petition gathered over 4,800 city-certified signatures from Revere voters.

If the question passes on October 18, then McCain ends up gaining the ability to have a specific spot in Revere for a slots parlor casino if the slot parlor request is approved in the November 8 election. The other condition of the November 8 question is that the gaming establishment must be within 1,500 feet of a horse racing facility. The Suffolk Downs area would fit this criteria but the operators have no interest in the slots parlor casino proposed.

If the local question fails in Revere on October 18, voters will still vote on November 8 for statewide approval. If this vote fails statewide then question dies. If it passes, McCain and his group will be allowed to petition the Gaming Commission for the slot parlor gaming license that is available.

Mayor Brian Arrigo and a host of other officials have publicly opposed the slots casino parlor, including State Sen. Joe Boncore, State Rep. RoseLee Vincent, Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo, City Councillors Jessica Giannino, Steve Morabito, Arthur Guinasso, Joanne McKenna, John Powers, Robert Haas and Ira Novoselsky; School Committee members Susan Gravellese, Carol Tye, Stacey Rizzo, Mike Ferrante, Fred Sanella and Dan Maguire.

Arrigo held a rally of public officials on September 28 and met with residents of Hyman Towers to discuss the October 18 special election last Friday.

“As community leaders we hold high standards for the future of our city,” Arrigo told residents of Hyman Towers. 

“This debate is not about being “for” or “about” gaming. This debate is about being for good ideas and against bad ideas. This slot proposal is simply a bad idea for our community.”

Arrigo has noted that the city is working on its image as part of the city’s economic development work.

Nick Connors, campaign manager with the The Revere Jobs and Education Committee and the YES to 1 Committee, said they are working hard and confident they will win this vote. They have been busy conducting polls and making calls to potential voters.

“I think we have tremendous support,” Connors said from his office on Broadway. “Revere needs an infusion of 300-400 jobs and infusion in infrastructure and $5 million for the city. It’s the last opportunity for a complex like this.”

 with a hotel to draw from Logan Airport.” [sic]

The Trail to Oct. 18

The city took McCain to court in July to stop the special election and again in early September, claiming the election would burden the city with a cost of $70,000.

McCain and his associates have connected with a Las Vegas company to manage everything concerning the potential development of a slots casino.

Navegante, a gaming and hospitality company, based in the Las Vegas area will be having one of its leaders working in Revere. Gary Armentout, who has over 35 years of experience in the casino/hospitality industry has worked on casinos outside of Toronto and with Foxwoods. He also worked on Harvey’s Resorts, Vanguard Gaming and several riverboat casinos along the Mississippi River.

“Support and enthusiasm from Revere citizens is very high. People understand that 300-400 good paying jobs, annual revenue of at least $5 million, thousands of union construction jobs are exactly what Revere needs,” said Jason Osborne, Campaign Chairman for Yes on 1 and The Revere Jobs and Education Committee. “We have walked into over 65 businesses, spoke on the phone with over a thousand voters, and the positive sentiment is north of 70 percent. It’s now a question of having people remember to vote on October 18. A Yes Vote on October 18 is a Vote for Jobs and More Revenue to the City.”

But Mayor Arrigo has said the “slot parlor proposal presented to the city was poorly written, poorly conceived and haphazardly concocted, with no details provided about contributions to the city, transportation upgrades, infrastructure improvements, jobs for Revere residents or mitigation for traffic or crime.”

“Massachusetts’ gaming law is praised as one of the most comprehensive and forward-looking in the nation. When we crafted the law my main focus was on boosting the economy and creating jobs. Key to that effort was creating an independent Gaming Commission which conducts thorough market analyses and then makes informed decisions. This slapdash proposal would upset the deliberate and delicate balance we worked so hard to create. 

Therefore, I stand in opposition to Question 1,” said Speaker of the House Robert A. DeLeo.

The Twist and Turns

The special election question on October 18 and the whole situation with the attempt to set up a slot parlor casino has a twist or two. A ‘yes’ vote simply means that the group “Revere Jobs and Education Committee” would secure a location for a slots only casino.  A ‘no’ vote would let everyone know how the voters of Revere feel about a slots parlor in their community.

However, the casino group can still look forward to the statewide vote on Question 1 on Nov. 8 as a way to be eligible for a gaming license. If the question fails statewide the issue of a slots casino in Revere dies regards of the October 18 vote. If the question passes it will be up to the state Gaming Commission to issue a gaming license. If the license is applied for the Gaming Commission requires another Special Election . Depending on the commission the Special Election could be held in 2017 or beyond. McCain’s group would have to pay for that election through the Gaming Commission.

The Question

As with most ballot questions, the wording can also be tricky. The following is the wording of the question on the Oct. 18 ballot: “Do you approve the measure summarized below.? The proposed measure provides in full: No person or entity shall hold a Category 2 gaming license, as such term is defined in MGL ch. 23K section 2, unless such Category 2 license is issued, following the licensing process outlined in MGL ch. 23K for a site that is at least four acres in size and includes lands that front both Revere Beach Parkway, Winthrop Parkway and Pratt Court.

“Approval of this measure would limit the planning of any future slot parlor gaming facility licensed by the State Gaming Commission to a location in the City of Revere that is at least four acres in size and that fronts on both 

“Revere Beach Parkway/Winthrop Parkway” and Pratt Court.”

“Rejection of this measure would mean that the possible future location of any slot gaming facility would continue to be subject to the City’s Zoning Ordinance. Even if approved, the measure would only be possible if a slot parlor gaming license becomes available due to state law or if a license from an existing operation is returned to the state.”

Polls will be open in Revere from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 18.

http://www.reverejournal.com/2016/10/14/special-election-on-slots-oct-18/

Israel aims to ban gambling machines and horse race betting by next year

Israel’s finance minister vows no horse racing or slot machines

 Renee Kingsley

 

 August 7, 2016

 

 Gaming Law & Legislation, Horse Racing, Israel, Latest Casino and Gambling News

The finance minister of Israel, Moshe Kahlon stated that he will not permit horse racing and slot machines as long as he remains the country’s finance minister. Kahlon made the statement after reviewing a comprehensive report submitted by a special committee headed by Emi Palmor, director general of the Justice Ministry and Shay Babad, director general, Treasury. The committee conducted a review on the professional, structural and legal aspects of the legalized gambling industry in Israel and how it could reduce the negative impact of gambling.

The report stated that the growth of Israel’s gambling industry must be curtailed as it would increase problem gambling and also pushed for more regulations to be imposed on Toto, the Sports betting council and Mifal Hapayis, which are the two state run betting monopolies. The committee report recommended that horse racing and slot machines continue to be forbidden in Israel, allotting 20 million shekels each year to continue the fight against illegal gambling, look into reducing the operating costs at Mifal Hapayis and Toto, forbid all forms of “addictive games” and increase taxes on winnings.

The committee also put forth suggestions on how a further 1.5 billion shekels can be generated from the gambling industry during the next couple of years. The finance minister was against introducing slot machines as he felt that it generated funds for the government by taking money out of the poor.

In a statement, Kahlon said “This money is tainted, and we don’t want it. It’s no coincidence that on the 28th of the month, the day people receive stipends, Mifal Hapayis revenues rise dramatically. There won’t be any slot machines or horse races in Israel starting next year. As long as I am finance minister, there won’t be a casino in Israel.”

The recommendations from the committee are aimed at reducing the negative impact of the legalized gambling industry, moderating its growth and cutting down operational costs in order to use that extra money for the good of the public. Ayelet Shaked, the Justice Minister also reviewed the report and stated that betting was an addictive illusion of a better future. The minister stated that she will see if she can introduce the report into legislation.

Israel’s legalized gambling market has grown at a rate of 10 percent over the last five years and the committee proposes to limit its growth to around 2.7 percent each year. Both Mifal Hapayis and Toto have been asked to reduce their costs by 2 percent in 2017 by cutting down on advertising costs, reducing franchise sales commissions and introducing a new model on how franchises are to be paid.

The committee wants the enforcement industry to receive an additional 20 million shekels in order to crackdown on the illegal gambling industry in Israel which is estimated to be in the range of 10-15 billion shekels per year, which around 1 percent of the country’s GDP.

https://news.worldcasinodirectory.com/israels-finance-minister-vows-no-horse-racingor-slot-machines-32235

Israel's finance minister vows no horse racing or slot machines Pechanga.net The finance minister of Israel, Moshe Kahlon stated that he will not permit horse racing and slot machinesas long as he remains the country's finance ...

Israel aims to ban gambling machines and horse race betting by next year Gaming Intelligence A wide-ranging report on gambling in Israel submitted to Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon has recommended an outright bans on slot machines and ...

Crony of Anti-lottery Crusader Kahlon Was National Lottery Agent Haaretz Last week Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon was scathingly critical of the Mifal Hapayis national lottery in general and its slot machines in particular.

Israel's finance minister vows no horse racing or slot machines World Casino Directory The finance minister of Israel, Moshe Kahlon stated that he will not permit horse racing and slot machinesas long as he remains the country's finance ... Israel Says No To Expansion of Gambling Industry - Online Poker.net Full Coverage

In Presidential Race, Sheldon Adelson Likely To Place Bets On Candidates Who Oppose Doing So

Steve Ruddock Jun.05, 2015

If the 2012 election cycle is any kind of indicator, Sheldon Adelson, one of the Republican Party’s top donors, will likely end up backing multiple candidates by the time the dust settles on the 2016 presidential race.

There is certainly no shortage of candidates to choose from in 2016, but two have been vocal in their opposition to regulated online gambling, an issue at the top of Adelson’s list: former New York Governor George Pataki and South Carolina Senator Lindsey Graham.

Pataki’s Adelson ties

Pataki the lobbyist recently served as a co-chair of Adelson’s Coalition to Stop Internet Gambling (CSIG) campaign, which seems to be Adelson’s #2 issue behind Israel. Fighting against marijuana legalization is #2a for Adelson.

Pataki appears to have left CSIG in early 2015, right around the time he began mulling a presidential run.

During his time he was a signatory of CSIG letters; penned an op-ed on iGaming for USA Today, and made several television appearances and web videos pushing for Adelson’s online gambling ban:

Graham’s Adelson ties

Graham and Adelson have a fairly new relationship dating back to about 2013, when the billionaire republican donor started hosting fundraisers for Graham and donating to his campaigns.

Soon after the campaign contributions and fundraisers began, Graham introduced Sheldon Adelson’s RAWA bill into the U.S. Senate in early 2014, and has indicated he would reintroduce the measure in 2015 – something he has yet to follow through on.

Graham also saw fit to question Attorney General Loretta Lynch on the Wire Act and online gambling during her confirmation hearings.

Adelson has continued to host fundraisers for Graham, and Graham has also visited the casino magnate in Las Vegas for the so-called “Adelson Primary.”

Pataki could be a viable general election candidate…

… if it wasn’t for his pitifully slight chances of getting to the general election.

In order to do so he would need to boost his national brand, and somehow survive the very conservative leaning and densely populated Republican primary.

Pataki bucks the Republican party on a number of social issues that have tripped up Republicans as of late, and was a fairly popular Republican Governor in the very blue state of New York. Pataki also carries very little personal/professional baggage.

The problem is he’s basically unknown on the national stage (Pataki’s run as New York Governor ended in 2006) and seen as far too liberal to win primaries in deeply conservative states.

Adelson money could help Pataki solve the first issue ($50 million buys a lot of TV time and name recognition), but no amount of money is going to sway the voters of South Carolina to vote for a Republican who supports gay rights and is pro-choice.

It should be noted, Adelson is generally liberal on social questions, but these don’t seem to be top tier issues for him.

Pataki seems tailor made for Adelson (a former democrat), but he’s an ill-fitting off-the-rack suit for republican primary voters.

Graham isn’t much of a candidate, but…

… that’s never stopped Adelson from pumping money into a campaign in the past.

Graham is also ideologically aligned with Adelson on several of his top issues, as he not only shares Adelson’s views on online gambling, he’s also a staunch supporter of Israel, and against marijuana legalization.

The big issue with Lindsey Graham is it’s a tossup as to who dislikes him more, Democrats or staunch conservative Republicans.

Graham is seen as the consummate RINO (Republican in Name Only) and calling for federal bans of online gambling will only cement his long held RINO designation among Libertarian and Tea Party types.

As one right-leaning outlet put it when discussing a Graham presidential run:

“… considering Graham’s … less than sterling conservative credentials… he will quickly find himself “shredded” by social conservative attack ads over his views which are pretty much in alignment with those of establishment Democrats.”

Graham’s campaign seems doomed from the start. Adelson may pass on backing Lindsey Graham, a third-tier candidate who may not even be invited to the primary debates.

So who will it be?

If Adelson is going to put his considerable weight behind one of these men it will likely be George Pataki.

George Pataki’s flaws can be fixed with a few tubes of caulk and some new paint whereas Lindsey Graham is a complete gut job.

Even Adelson can spot a money pit when he sees one … although he did back this guy to the tune of an estimated $50 million:

Image by Union20 / CC BY-SA 3.0 

http://www.uspoker.com/blog/sheldon-adelson-2016-presidential-election-online-gambling/11182/

REPEAL THE CASINO DEAL!

Please pass this website along to any e-mail lists you have and promote on
social media.

5signatures.com

This will supplement all our efforts to collect signatures at churches, in
front of grocery stores, at town meetings and elections, and at the Red
Sox parade this weekend and over the next few weeks.

There’s an old Russian proverb: “If everyone gives a thread, the poor man
will have a shirt.” Our goal is to find 10,000 people willing to collect
5 signatures and get us half-way to the 100,000 signatures we need.

Brian Ashmankas
Campaign Director
Repeal the Casino Deal

Protect Your Community!

Have you added your name?

Join us! It couldn't be simpler!

It could NOT be easier to get this done. We need your help! It is time to let the voters of Massachusetts decide.

Please visit this website, and take a few minutes of your time to make this happen.
Visit the website, get 5 signatures, and mail in the form.
PLEASE DO IT.
www.5signatures.com

 

Your support is invaluable, thank you!!

Plainville's leaders show willful blindness

You can't gamble your way out of fiscal problems

To the editor: One favorite trick of Karl Rove - master of the media slight of hand - is to call the opposition "a small minority" and their claims "inflammatory rhetoric." This has been done to the Plainville opposition to slots at Plainridge from the very beginning. The problem is, we've been right so often, can you afford not to at least investigate the points we make?
 

On our Facebook page and website, we cite study after study, newspaper article after newspaper article. Our "rhetoric" is one long list of scholarly articles and investigated stories from around the country. We didn't make it up. We've shared verifiable information about the economic impact to small business, the loss to the consumer economy, the repercussions of increased gambling addiction on families and businesses, the lie that harness racing will end if we don't get slots at Plainridge, and the experiences of the towns in Connecticut that border the casino towns. And so much more.
 

On the other hand, the proponents of slots seem only to be able to come up with "Because we say so! Plainville needs money!" to back up their assurances that all will be right with Plainville when the slots come to town.

Any recovering gambling addict will tell you that you can't gamble your way out of fiscal problems. Plainville needs a better plan for prosperity than expanded gambling. Please join me in voting no on slots on Sept. 10.

Mary-Ann Greanier, Plainville

Keep Plainville a friendly town

To the editor: I just finished reading the letter from Dale Bergevine ("A 'yes' vote Sept. 10 could mean a brighter future for Plainville," Sept. 3). To be opposed to drinking and driving, crime, burdening our resources, traffic, and gambling in general is called "a caterwauling clutch of high minded Democrats"?

I am opposed to gambling. I believe that even one fatality due to drinking and driving is not worth any amount of money. I don't see any brighter future and progress in minimum wage jobs, pawn shops, pay day lenders and crime.

We know nothing about Penn National's intentions and have not had a chance to vet them. Shouldn't we have the opportunity to make a decision based on their intentions?

Because I have a dissenting opinion and am asking questions doesn't make me worthy of negative assumptions.

I find Mr. Bergevine doing the same thing he is accusing those opposed to slots - inflammatory rhetoric. There are facts in the gaming consultants' reports which make me opposed to this venture. Facts.

Let's talk in town and work together to decide what is best. We are a small town. Let's keep our town friendly and nice for everyone, even if we disagree.

Robin Chandler, Plainville

Plainville's leaders show willful blindness

To the editor: The expressions of shock and betrayal from town hall regarding Plainridge former president Gary Piontkowski are hard to swallow.
 

Our former police chief's wife worked for the track and selectmen saw no potential conflicts of interest. The chief was an aggressive advocate for track interests, which had a chilling effect.

When the ACLU successfully defended a neighbor against a lawsuit initiated by Piontkowski, no Plainville officials stood up to the outrageous attempt to suppress freedom of speech. Requests for mitigation regarding traffic and pedestrian safety were countered by official worries about costing "Gary" too much.

Piontkowski attempted frightening Harness Path homeowners into silence over blasting literally in their back yards, claiming a deed restriction prevented residents from lodging complaints against the track. He delivered the warning to the workplace of at least one of these local homeowners.

Our town administrator raises the specter of horse farms converted to housing. Why didn't he object to expansion of sewers to the rural west side of town - benefiting developers at the expense of neighborhoods with failed septic systems in dire need of limited treatment capacity.
 

The Lions Club, which performs many public services, meets monthly at Plainridge and supports the slot barn. Their president is our former police chief. Does the Plainville Lions promote diversity of opinion among members?

The Attorney General's Office found Plainridge ran an illegal raffle in conjunction with the Plainville Athletic League, which told parents questioning the practice that they had to participate in the raffle if their kids participated in sports. Better judgment from PAL instead of boosterism would have benefited the town.

Now we are being asked by the selectmen who were deaf to complaints about Piontkowski's intimidation tactics and violations of gambling laws to blindly vote for a gambling facility.

Harness racing may or may not survive Piontkowski's misdeeds, but Plainville has already lost something more precious; neighbors leaving because civic leaders failed to protect our rights and interests. We will survive the loss of the track, but can we survive the willful blindness of our local government?

Marcia Benes, Plainvillle

Playing chicken, getting a turkey

To the editor: What do you get when you cross a chicken with a turkey?

Plainridge, the Plainville selectmen and town administrator are all being chicken. They've put all their eggs in one basket, counted their chickens before they hatched, and now they are crying wolf.

Everyone knows that it is poor financial advice to put all your investments in one stock - diversification is key to any prudent financial plan. Yet the leaders of Plainville have done just that, anchoring their economic plan on the fate of one company.
 

Your elected officials also got greedy, like a chicken whose feed includes those nasty growth hormones no one wants to eat - it needs more, more, more. They saw revenues from the "garage to nowhere" and started baking the glorious slot revenues into the town's financial forecasts. Now that those forecasts are at risk, the town could have sold eggs that may never be hatched.
 

Today Plainville town officials are crying wolf, chirping if Plainridge doesn't get the slots, Plainville will be in dire financial straits. That is not a plan, that's playing chicken and is no way to run a town.

Plainridge is so desperate they are willing to bring a strange and unknown animal from Pennsylvania into the coop, still looking for a home after it was already labeled a turkey by Springfield and Tewksbury, saying it wasn't good enough for their towns. Why is this cold and slightly congealed leftover Penn National soup good enough for Plainville when it didn't meet the standards of two other towns?

So what do you get when you cross a chicken with a turkey? A fowl? I don't know, but my guess is that it's a surprise mystery meat that no one would want to bring home for dinner at any of the thousands of Plainville homes that will be affected by this chicken pox of a plan.
 

So please vote in the best interest of Plainville, vote no. And while you're at it, tell those turkeys running the town it's time to fly to coop.
 

Thomas Keen, Foxboro

The author is co-founder of NoPlainvilleRacino.org and was sued by Plainridge Racecourse for defamation of character. Plainridge lost the suit and was ordered by the court to pay almost $25,000 to cover his legal costs.

Installing slot parlor the wrong path

To the editor: I have lived in Plainville for many years and I have often marveled at its dichotomy: good geographic location next to so many highways with a rural, small town character. I now am raising my family in town because the schools are good and I think that the town has the potential to develop and grow in positive ways. Installing a slot parlor in town is not the right path for Plainville.

Plainville is a family community now, but if expanded gambling is approved, it will forever have its reputation associated with gambling, which the National Realtors Association has reported has an "unambiguously negative impact" on property values for residents. Many, many families in town will lose on their home values.
 

Plainville does not need the problems that accompany casinos, alcohol-related crimes, drug-related crimes, thefts and break-ins, prostitution, increased problem gambling for residents. The promised revenue for the community is a red herring when measured against the costs of these problems.
 

The associated industries that accompany gambling parlors are often pawn shops, check cashing joints, and "massage parlors." Is this how we want our little stretch of Route 1 to be developed? I urge citizens of Plainville to stand up for Plainville. We may be small, but this is not the development direction we need to take. We can do better Plainville.
 

Vote "no" on the host community agreement on Sept. 10.

Leo Brehm, Plainville

 

http://www.thesunchronicle.com/vip/opinion/letters_to_editor/vote-to-bring-business-jobs-and-revenue-to-plainville/article_34b609f3-dca1-59a3-ad74-332267b0028a.html

 

Tewksbury vote against slots was decisive

By Kathy McCabe

| Globe Staff August 25, 2013

Jim Davis/Globe Staff

A meeting last week on the $200 million Merrimack Valley Casino proposal drew 2,617 voters, the largest crowd for a Special Town Meeting in decades.

From the get-go, Tewksbury residents made clear the decision was theirs to make.

Despite intense interest and opposition from surrounding communities, most notably Andover, Tewksbury residents voted loud and clear — on a voice vote — to restrict debate on the floor only to town residents.

“Tonight belongs to the residents of Tewksbury,” Town Moderator Keith Rauseo announced, as cheers bounced off the gymnasium walls.

A proposal to allow the $200 million Merrimack Valley Casino to be built drew 2,617 voters to Tewksbury Memorial High School last Tuesday, the largest gathering for a Special Town Meeting in decades.

Fearing an increase in crime and traffic and a drop in the value of their homes, 1,568 of those in attendance voted against a zoning change that effectively killed Penn National’s bid to build a 24-hour slots parlor that would have generated an estimated $4.3 million in annual tax revenues and payments, along with the promise of 500 permanent jobs. There were 995 votes in favor.

Penn National’s proposal thrust Tewksbury into the sweepstakes for the state’s one slots parlor license, due to be awarded this year by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission. With Tuesday’s vote, it became the first Bay State community to vote against a casino proposal.

The Board of Selectmen, Finance Committee, and Planning Board all supported the zoning change that would have allowed the slots parlor to be built on 30 acres of wooded land off Route 133 at the Ames Pond Corporate Center, near the Andover town line. Their backing prompted one speaker to state that town officials were out of touch with residents’ concerns. Others felt the vote came too soon after Penn National announced on July 11 that it plans to seek a slots license.

“I do care if they come to our town, and they go to a neighborhood where people have worked hard to buy their homes,” said resident Fred Simon. “And they bought those homes since it was near an office park. . . . I’ve had many people say that if the [town] leadership was going to plan a casino in the middle of where they live, they never would have bought.”

Scott Wilson, chairman of the Board of Selectmen, rejected the notion that town leaders failed to read the pulse of the community.

“We put forward this proposal to let the people decide,” said Wilson, who spoke in favor of the zoning change.

He attributed defeat to “too much bad information” swirling through town since Penn unveiled its proposal. “We didn’t have enough time to combat it,” he said after the zoning change was defeated.

“I wish I could have stood up tonight and answered questions. But, you know, it’s how people feel. They’re scared. I get it . . . Change is not easy and this was a biggie.”

Penn National financed an aggressive Yes For Tewskbury campaign that was defeated by a local groundswell led by the residents’ group No Slots Tewksbury.

Jim Davis/Globe Staff

Residents attending last week’s casino meeting had to find overflow parking and walk in. 

“We had a great grass-roots campaign,” said Ann Buskey, a former School Committee member who was part of the No Slots group.

“I cannot think of another proposal . . . that would create as many jobs, and generate as much revenue,” said Town Manager Richard Montuori, who spoke in favor of the zoning change at Tuesday’s meeting.

Some residents agreed. “The additional money that this will bring in, for firefighters and police officers and for other things that are desperately needed for this town, is well worth the risk,” said Linda Desharnais, a homeowner on South Street. “I think people are a little silly, if they don’t realize that people already gamble, and spend their money at the liquor store, or at the Keno parlor, and think this [slots parlor] is the biggest evil in the world.”

Resident Charles Labella said the slots parlor could help boost the town’s fortunes. “The casino will provide new jobs, and substantial additional revenue,” he said. “Allowing a company of Penn National’s stature to build a small, state of the art, modern casino with a few restaurants will not change the character of our town in a negative way, but will enhance it.”

But opponents countered that a slots parlor did not belong in their town of nearly 30,000 people.

“Let’s focus on our community, on our neighbors and our way of life,” said Susan Kolls, a 13-year homeowner who said she was attending her first town meeting.

“Officials in Toledo, Ohio; Jefferson County, West Virginia; and in Somewhere, Pennsylvania, who love their slot parlors, they’re welcome to them,” said resident Warren Carey, citing states where Penn National operates casinos. “I am only interested and impressed by the voters in Tewksbury, by the hundreds, who have told me in the last several weeks that they don’t want slots parlors in the town of Tewksbury.”

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission had been looking into options regarding a special election scheduled for Sept. 21 where Tewksbury residents would vote on whether to allow a slots parlor in town.

But the Tewksbury Board of Selectmen announced Friday on the town website that it had voted to cancel the special election. Since the zoning measure failed, Penn National couldn’t go forward in Tewksbury, anyway.

A spokesman for Penn National said Wednesday the company is evaluating its next steps.

“Penn National is going to step back and take some time to determine what, if any, options they want to consider in Massachusetts,” spokesman Will Keyser wrote in an e-mail to the Globe. “They will be closing the office in Tewksbury, and support the cancellation of the Sept. 21 election.”

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/regionals/north/2013/08/24/tewksbury-voters-are-clear-casino/cnpfmOZyVG6WSKDDZC0j4I/story.html?s_campaign=email_BG_TodaysHeadline

 

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Millbury selectman leads statewide casino repeal campaign

Brian Ashmankas
(T&G Staff File Photo)
» Enlarge photo

By Susan Spencer, TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

MILLBURY — The selectman who cast the sole dissenting vote July 23 when the board approved a host community agreement with proposed slots parlor developer Mass Gaming & Entertainment will be signature campaign director for a statewide effort to repeal the 2011 expanded gaming law.

Brian M. Ashmankas, 26, who is serving his second term on the Board of Selectmen, will work full time with Repeal the Casino Deal, a statewide coalition of public health, municipal, family and religious leaders, among others, to get an initiative on the ballot next year to repeal the state law that allows for casino gambling. According to a news release Tuesday, 68,911 certified signatures of registered voters need to be collected by hand by Nov. 20.

"It's a big hurdle but I think it's very doable," Mr. Ashmankas said. "It's just like any campaign but on a larger level."

Mr. Ashmankas said he was approached by casino opponents to get involved statewide after an "As I See It" opinion column, "Slots would be net loss for Millbury," was published Aug. 7 in the Telegram & Gazette.

"If I don't want to see it in Millbury," he said, "I don't want the negative effects on anybody."

He added: "It's a very bipartisan issue. You have left and right working together."

Mr. Ashmankas said government-licensed casinos exploit people, bringing crime and other negative social and economic impacts to communities, which is the opposite of what he said government should be doing.

"It does harm. Casinos are designed to take your money away from you," he said. "In the end you go away with nothing."

Repeal the Casino Deal Chairman John F. Ribeiro of Winthrop said Mr. Ashmankas brought the skills needed for the position, and his Millbury base demonstrated the group's statewide commitment.

"Being a linchpin in the center of the state makes all the differences in the world," Mr. Ribeiro said in an interview.

Mr. Ashmankas graduated summa cum laude from the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth and earned his master's degree in political science from Boston College. He has been a substitute teacher in Millbury and Grafton schools.

The ballot initiative language is expected to be certified by the state attorney general's office by Sept. 4, Mr. Ribeiro said. Then the secretary of state has two weeks to deliver the petitions to Repeal the Casino Deal organizers to start collecting signatures.

Initial signers of the petition filed with the attorney general include Mark Gottleib, executive director of the Public Health Advocacy Institute at Northeastern University Law School, and Steven P. Abdow, diocesan administrator and finance officer for the Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts. Regionally, Geri Eddins, a spokeswoman for Casino-Free Milford, is a signatory.

Repeal the Casino Deal will work with faith, public health and other groups to get signatures, but Mr. Ribeiro said, "Our core will be people in impacted communities, especially surrounding communities who have no say. This is a way for impacted folks to have a vote."

Meanwhile, in Tewksbury, a special town meeting Tuesday night voted 1,568-995 against a measure that would have allowed Penn National Gaming to build a 24-hour slots parlor on land now zoned for commercial/research use.
http://www.telegram.com/article/20130820/NEWS/308209506/1116

 

Casino opponents want repeal of state's gaming law on ballot

Anti-casino group has filed petition for question

Updated: Wednesday, 07 Aug 2013, 12:17 PM EDT
Published : Wednesday, 07 Aug 2013, 12:16 PM EDT

BOSTON (State House News Service) - With gaming regulators expecting to award the first casino licenses in Massachusetts early next year, opponents of expanded gambling announced Wednesday that they would seek to put a question on the 2014 November ballot essentially repealing the 2011 law that cleared the way for expanded gambling.

John Ribeiro, an anti-casino activist from Winthrop behind the Repeal the Casino Deal group, filed a petition Wednesday with the attorney general to start the initiative petition process and block casino gambling in Massachusetts. The question would essentially gut the 2011 law by making the types of gambling relied on by casinos to lure customers and make money illegal in Massachusetts.

“I think the calculations have changed and they’ve actually tipped in our favor because when you look around the state and the number of people who will be impacted, you now have more people aware of the problems associated with casino gambling,” Ribeiro told the News Service.

Ribeiro and casino opponents have tried to block casinos from opening in Massachusetts in the past, pursuing a referendum initiative in 2011 that would have allowed voters to repeal the expanded gaming law during the 2012 elections.

Attorney General Martha Coakley ruled that question ineligible for the ballot because appropriations are not subject to the citizen petition process, and the gaming law included monetary appropriations. This year, opponents are pursuing a different track. “The last time we knew it was a long shot because of the poison pills the Legislature put into the bill. This time we don’t face any such hurdles.”

Voters in places like Taunton, Springfield and Everett have embraced the idea of local casinos through votes on different casino developments competing for the three licenses, but some of those votes have been close, while other communities have rejected expanded gambling.

The petition filed Wednesday was signed by Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone, former state Sen. Susan Tucker, Massachusetts Family Institute President Kris Mineau, Kathleen Conley Norbut, the president of United to Stop Slots, and others.


http://www.wwlp.com/dpp/news/politics/state_politics/casino-opponents-want-repeal-of-states-gaming-law-on-ballot

Casino Opponents To Seek Ballot Repeal In 2014

By Matt MurphyAugust 7, 2013

 

 

Repeal the Casino Deal Coalition, Signature Drive Director

FROM facebook:

Signature Drive Director,
Repeal the Casino Deal (Massachusetts)

The Repeal the Casino Deal Coalition invites applications for the position of Signature Drive Director for a statewide initiative to collect 115,000 raw voter signatures in the Fall of 2013. The signatures allow for a question to be placed on the November 2014 statewide ballot that would repeal the Massachusetts law legalizing commercial casino gambling.

... Position Description

The Signature Drive Director (SDD) will report to the Chair/Steering Committee of the Repeal the Casino Deal coalition. The SDD will have primary responsibility for directing a statewide signature collection drive through November 2013. The SDD must be comfortable working with politically-diverse individuals and groups in coalition building. Work on nights and weekends, as well as some in-state travel, will be required (it is essentially a seven day a week mission for the duration of the signature drive.

Position will be located in the Metro-Boston area. Exact location is TBD.

Specific Responsibilities

• Organizing signature collection volunteers

• Managing the mailing and counting of signature petitions

• Orchestrating the delivery and pick up of petition papers to town halls.

• Coordinate with and help lead coalition partners signature gathering

• Manage outreach to state/local leaders, organizations, opinion leaders and citizen activists across the state

• Help maintain/oversee signature collection drive website

Qualifications

• Familiarity with the issue of government-sponsorship of casinos.

• Passion for just causes.

• A dedicated team player with superb follow-through.

• Experience collecting voter signatures preferred but not required

• Experience in managing and motivating volunteers

• Ability to expand, lead, and work cooperatively with coalitions.

• Applicants should be self-motivated, organized, diligent, and have the proven ability to work with a wide range of people.

Compensation

$600 a week over a 18-20 week period from about 8/1 -12/15 on a contract basis. Salary is negotiable depending on experience. The right person would need to work about 65-70 hours a week. The position would be paid but offer no benefits.

How to Apply

Please send cover letter, resume, writing sample, salary requirements and contact information for three references to: repealthecasinodeal@gmail.com

Communication may be addressed to:

John Ribeiro, Chairman
Repeal the Casino Deal Coalition

Inquiries should include "Signature Drive Director" in the subject field, and all attachments should be in Microsoft Word or .pdf.

Application deadline is until the position is filled so interested individuals need to apply very soon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Repeal the Casino Deal!

Let's put this on the ballot!

Volunteers needed to collect signatures for a referendum to be placed on the 2014 statewide ballot

The Episcopal Diocese is partnering with the statewide group, Repeal the Casino Deal, which is working to get a referendum on the 2014 ballot to repeal the casino legislation. Many prominent, longtime, committed opponents are joining the effort. We need to collect signatures this fall. We are looking for people who will take regional or community responsibility to recruit signature collectors, or who are willing to collect signatures. Please put this word out there. This effort needs to begin now. Please email me at sabdow@diocesewma.org. Please share this email with anyone you know who may be willing to work on this critical effort for our community and state. We are better than a casino. The legislature needs to hear from the people. Thank you, Steve Abdow Episcopal Diocese of Western MA

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